Category Archive for : ‘RESIDENCY RESTRICTION LAWS’

Newsday/Erik German

A judge’s decision overturning a Rockland County law restricting where sex offenders livecould affect dozens of similar laws statewide, including many on Long Island, where municipalitieshave rushed to enact tough residency legislation over the last few years.  In a decisionFriday, State Supreme court Justice William Kelly said local residency rules are superseded by NewYork State law, which specifically empowers local probation officers to decide where to place sexoffenders in communities.  While the Rockland court holds no sway over other counties, legalexperts said the ruling’s impact could spread if

Newsday/Mitchell Freedman

Up to 18 homeless registered sex offenders have been living in a trailer on the grounds of theSuffolk County Jail in Riverhead for more than a year.  Residents complain the trailer iswithin walking distance, less than a mile, of schools, parks and the Riverhead Library.  Themen living in the trailer are there because the county must legally accept and provide housing forhomeless sex offenders released from prison.  The offenders, generally medium and high risk,have served their prison sentences and are there voluntarily, but the trailer is not a securefacility. 

The Long Island Advance

Assemblywoman Patricia Eddington (WFP-Medford) announced recently that Governor Patersonsigned legislation she authored preventing the clustering of sex predators into law. Eddington’s measure requires the NYS Division of Parole to consider various factors before placingLevel 2 and Level 3 offenders into the community, including: – Location of other sex predators required to register under the Sex Offender RegistrationAct – The number of registered offenders residing at a particular property – Proximity to vulnerable populations – Availability of permanent, stable housing in order to reduce likelihood that suchoffenders will be

Newsday/Patrick Whittle

Brookhaven Town enacted a landmark measure yesterday that makes it illegal for more than tworegistered sex offenders to live in the same single-family home.  The ordinance, which townofficials and child protection advocates have said is the first of its kind in the state, isdesigned to break up clusters of sex offenders, such as the one in the Homestead Drive area ofGordon Heights.  According to a state registry Web site, more than 40 registered sex criminalslive in that roughly half-square-mile area.  Just before the vote, Councilwoman KathleenWalsh, who proposed

Newsday/Patrick Whittle

With proposed legislation that local officials and child protection advocates say would be afirst in the state, the Brookhaven Town Board is considering a landmark saturation statute thatwould impose tighter restrictions on registered sex offenders and, proponents say, help break upLong Island’s densest cluster of sex criminals.  The legislation, which will be the subject ofa public hearing Tuesday, would make it illegal for more than two registered sex offenders to livein the same one-family dwelling.  The proposal is designed to break up clusters of sexoffenders in communities such

Times of Middle Country/Jennifer Choi

Brookhaven Councilwoman Kathy Walsh (R-Centereach) has proposed a local law to prohibit morethan two registered sex offenders from residing in the same one-family dwelling.  The intentis to limit the saturation of registered sex offenders, Walsh said, adding that the approval ofthis law would amend Chapter 55 of the code of the Town of Brookhaven’s Child Protection Act. According to Laura Ahearn, executive director of Parents for Megan’s Law, town officials recentlyamended their local code to be consistent with Suffolk County law, which states that registeredsex offenders